Chapter Sixteen
Mabraant, Mabra System, Fazaal Sector, Gaashox Quadrant
Kopaz Squadron took the few days off work in recognition of the successes they achieved. On the second day, Grogaan decided to go to Lake Mabreese to spend some time alone. He left early in the morning to ensure he was far away before his friends called, but he knew there was a high probability of them knowing where he had gone. After climbing out of his ship, the scent of grass, woodland, and the myriad of flowers filled his nostrils, and the cool fresh mountain air invigorated his body and stimulated his mind.
He sat quietly and contemplatively beside the lake most of the morning, thinking only of the pleasant times he had spent there with Miranda, of that wonderful day he had proposed to her, and her delight that had been so evident on her face. He thought about her and the hopes for the future now gone, and was pleased when he was able to do so without becoming depressed, melancholy or angry.
He now had a new life to look forward to; one he hoped would be free of the pain and anguish he had suffered for so long; one he hoped would include Ellarna Rayshon, and one where he played a major role in ending the Krelathan raids. He knew this future was only possible if he kept his mind and thoughts focussed on what could be, and not what might have been.
The sun was climbing high, and all of the clouds had vaporised leaving a clear deep blue sky. Several Black Buzzards soared high on the thermals, their wings spread wide as they circled the lake. After watching them for a while, Grogaan became restless, so he decided to go for a walk along the path to the lower waterfall and back.
As he strolled along listening to the water lapping against the bank, he let his mind wander without intentionally thinking about anything in particular, trying to maintain a calm and relaxed state of mind. Thoughts of Miranda came to mind, ones which brought a smile to his face. This was followed by an image of Ellarna, its clarity so striking, it surprised him.
As he pondered her first visit to the Klaret and the strange sensations he had experienced when she was leaving, he became even more convinced destiny was playing a large part in his life, but to what purpose. Thoughts of the prophecy came to mind, and much to his surprise, he had a vague understanding about its meaning. It indicated a single person would change the course of history, and he wondered if his purpose in life was to be that person. Grogaan laughed at the thought that he could be such a person and so dismissed it as a foolish notion.
Then he thought about how his brother, father and Miranda were killed. They were tragic days that ruined his life, but as he pondered the events and circumstances further, he began visualising a potential link to the prophecy. He sighed and shook his head. It was too much to continue thinking about, so he stopped at the edge of the lake and gazed at the clear water. He saw some fish swimming near the bank, watched them for a few moments, and then continued along the path. His gaze drifted to the mountains on his left. They were a magnificent sight. Some of the distant peaks were so high they remained covered in snow throughout the year.
He thought about his three friends, how they had stood by him throughout his troubles, and helped him in preference to doing things for themselves. They were true friends and he appreciated all they did, as did they in regard for his help in support toward them. There had been a few trying times as there always is with close friendships, but it had never damaged the trust or friendship they possessed. He swore to do all he was able to protect them, not just when they engaged in combat, but wherever they were and whatever they were doing.
As he considered this, he had a strange notion that they would not be always be there to help him; a time when he would face trials and tests of his skills alone; a time when his life would be threatened. The thought of this frightened him, not because of the threat, but because he knew it was going to be so and he did not know how he knew.
After his walk, Grogaan enjoyed a light lunch before lying down on the grass at the edge of the lake. It was lovely and warm and he felt calm and relaxed, more so than he had done for such a long time. It was perfect. The only sounds to be heard were the birds singing, small creatures scurrying through the undergrowth, and the gentle sound of water lapping at the bank.
Grogaan laced his fingers, put his hands behind his head, which he rested on his folded jacket, and began thinking of Ellarna. The image he pictured in his mind became very clear and surprisingly detailed. She was, he thought, even more beautiful than Miranda, and hoped she would be as pleasant, jovial, and affectionate as his fiancée had been.
Thinking of Ellarna reminded Grogaan of his determination to look ahead, but memories of Miranda forced their way into his mind, stirring up feelings of sorrow and grief. Fortunately for him, they were not as debilitating as they once were. He also found the more he focussed on the future, the more his hunger for Miranda’s love and presence diminished, as did his anger toward the Krelathans.
He knew without doubt, it was time to leave the past behind, not to forget, but to not let it hinder or affect his future. He knew Miranda would not want him to continue grieving for her, and his father would encourage him to focus on the task ahead.
While lying on the soft grass with his eyes closed, and trying to concentrate his thoughts on Ellarna, Grogaan continued enjoying the warmth and the quiet solitude. The morning had been relaxing and beneficial to his state of mind, and the early part of the afternoon proved he was succeeding in gaining the victory over his weaknesses. Feeling satisfied with his breakthrough, he calmed his thoughts, relaxed is mind, and was just drifting off to sleep when a dark shadow fell over him.
“What in the blazes?” he said sitting up to see what had disturbed him. He shielded his eyes form the sun, and cursed when he saw a starfighter from the MDF coming in to land beside his. He sighed and shook his head in frustration.
Watching with annoyed intrigue, Grogaan wondered who dared spoil his time of solitude, and who from the MDF would have even known where he was. The pilot opened the canopy, climbed out and strolled toward him. Grogaan remained seated and watched the person carefully, trying to suppress the growing anger and frustration. There was no doubt the pilot was a woman. The cut of the flight suit and the feminine gait gave it away.
There were few women who were skilful enough to be enlisted in the MDF starfighter squadrons, unlike the engineering trades where many women served. Generally, most Mabraantan women did not appear to pursue an active role in the military, especially the combat divisions, unlike those of Breolis Primar and several other planets in the sector.
The woman stopped in front of him, removed her helmet and looked at him with a friendly smile. Grogaan’s eyes widened and his mouth opened a little when he saw it was Lieutenant Joeen Parond, an old school friend, and his brother’s fiancée before he was killed. She was a slim, short young woman with shoulder length fair hair, very fit, athletic, and could outpace many of the other members of the MDF with relative ease, which was something she was proud of.
Grogaan remembered Joeen very well, especially her good sense of humour, and her ability to make everyone laugh. She had often accompanied the family on outings, which had made Grogaan feel uncomfortable, mainly because of the way he once felt about her. He had not seen her for three years after leaving the junior education faculty, and then she appeared at his home firmly attached to Ben’s arm just after his nineteenth birthday.
“Joeen, it’s good to see you again,” he said getting up to give her a quick hug. “How long has it been?”
“Over three years,” she said.
Grogaan detected the rebuke in her tone, and wondered how this encounter would pan out, but then her tone lightened and the smile returned.
“I’ve been keeping myself rather busy these days, and I guess you have too,” she added, holding him more tightly than he did her.
“So you stayed in the MDF.”
“What else is there? Flying is all I’m good at,” she sighed.
“You’ve changed a lot since I last saw you.” He saw it in her ey
es and the way she held her stance; she had taken his brother’s death badly too. They had been together for four years, engaged for two, and were due to be married in three months when Ben was killed. It had taken her months to snap out of her depression, but that was only through the help of her cousin Julienna, her closest and most trusted friend.
The relationship between Ben and Joeen had been the most important part of their lives, even more than their role in the MDF, but always kept their pleasure and working life separate. Her depression had been as intense as Grogaan’s, but she had managed to control her emotions more than he, and she had not suffered intense dreams. Grogaan on the other hand had the benefit of several good friends, whereas she had not.
“Anyway, why are you here? Not that I mind your company. It’s always a pleasure to see you Joeen.”
She gazed at him through a shallow frown, but then smiled. ‘So why didn’t you bother calling over to see me then?’ she thought unkindly, then felt bad for having done so. “Forgive me for disturbing your peaceful time alone. I wouldn’t have done it had it not been necessary, and even then, would have avoided it if I could, but I didn’t want anyone else coming.”
“I appreciate that.” Grogaan smiled. “So how did you know where to find me?”
“Ben told me you spent a lot of time here when you were with Miranda,” she said, returning the smile.
Grogaan detected something else in the smile and the glint in her eyes, a little more than old memories, but was unable to discern exactly what it was.
“Admiral Yurgat wanted someone to find you. He is formally requesting your assistance in some military matter.”
“He wants my help? That means one of two things: Either he needs Kopaz Squadron for escort duty, or he wants some maintenance work started immediately.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you there. Yurgat didn’t confide in me. Well it’s probably not that important.”
“I wouldn’t count on it. Yurgat never formally requests anyone’s presence unless it’s urgent, important or serious. Oh well, I suppose I had better indulge him,” he said shrugging his shoulders, “but before we go, why don’t you sit down and chat for a while. Yurgat can wait a few minutes.”
“Why not? I’m not officially on duty for another two hours.” She sat down next to Grogaan leaving a gap of about a metre between them.
He saw a definite slouch in her shoulders, which was unlike the stature he had always associated her with. She had always been a proud young woman, never ashamed of anything she did or achieved. In fact, she had been an inspiration to many others who encountered her. Her parents were not too pleased with her enlistment into the MDF or her engagement to Ben, and had never let her forget it. He supposed that was why she put so much effort into succeeding in all she attempted, especially flying.
“So, what are you doing with yourself these days, besides flying that is?”
“Not a great deal. After Ben was killed I lost interest in most things, even flying for a while.”
“You lose interest in flying! That is a surprise.”
Joeen smiled and laughed a little, but it did not hide the underlying depression and sorrow. “Hard to believe isn’t it?”
“Not really. Not now I understand how you felt, and how you’re feeling now. It’s hard to keep going sometimes, and it’s only thanks to my mother and few good friends that I’ve managed to do so after losing Miranda.”
Joeen unzipped her flight suit and tried to relax. She drew her knees up to her chest, clasped her arms around her legs, and sighed heavily as she leant her chin on one knee.
“Once I finally recovered my interest in life I threw myself back into work and flying. After all, you’ve got to go on living haven’t you?” she said unconvincingly. “You’re fortunate to have such good friends, and whatever happens, don’t give up on them even if they give up on you.”
Grogaan smiled. He knew she was forcing herself to work, and in doing so was trying to hide her true feelings and grief. “What did your parents think of you returning to the MDF?”
“Not much, but they didn’t try to stop me, not that they could have if they had. I eventually came to terms with Ben’s loss, although it’s been difficult, and I still get depressed at times. Sometimes I just want to scream at the injustice of life, to strike out at those damned Krelathans and fight until I can’t fight anymore. Other times I just want to . . .” She was unable to finish the sentence, and a tear trickled down her face.
Grogaan knew exactly how she felt, having felt the same way so often, only he had the chance to get out and do something about it. As for the rest, he was totally at the mercy of fate and he hated it. As he looked at Joeen, he could see she was becoming very distraught. “I’m sorry if I’ve caused you any upset in asking.”
“No, no it’s not you. After all, you know what I’ve been through, with losing Miranda an’ all.” She then looked up at him, peering into his eyes hoping for an answer she knew he would not be able to give, maybe would not want to give, but then asked something else instead. “When will it all end?”
She started crying and dropped her head onto her knees, the pain of her loss overwhelming her.
Grogaan remembered he had asked himself that same question on many occasions and was unable to answer it then, was still unable to answer it, and possibly would never be able to answer it. He moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her. She accepted the reassurance and nestled against him, something she would never have done before.
He had always been jealous of his brother’s relationships with women, especially Joeen who was very attractive. Grogaan had wished on many occasions that she had been his girlfriend having always been attracted to her. However, fate had other ideas and plans for them all. Joeen moved away, then fell in love with Ben, and he had literally bumped into Miranda.
He had fallen in love the moment he set eyes on her, and when they started courting, believed nothing could ever make him a happier man. Then, after Miranda died he totally lost interest in women, preferring to remain free and single to avoid any further grief that might come his way. Instead, he devoted himself to his engineering and flying. He had not even thought of Joeen, or considered going to see how she was coping.
However, after seeing Ellarna in the Klaret, and consciously deciding to let go of his past, his attitude toward women and relationships was changing. Even though he was unable to stop thinking about Ellarna, he discovered his attraction to Joeen had returned, so he held her a little tighter. When he realised what he was doing, he relaxed his embrace. It was inappropriate to take advantage of her in this situation, even though she remained physically close to him. The feel of her arm around him was stirring feelings he knew he should not have toward her, but he found it heart warming, comforting and his desire for her grew with each passing moment.
“You were always a good friend.” She looked at him admiringly and smiled. “So much like your brother in many ways.”
“Ben was always the better one of us, and the luckiest,” he said. ‘Although his luck eventually ran out,’ he thought. Now Grogaan was the lucky one, but he would willingly give up all of his good fortune if he could have his family back.
Joeen pulled away from him and sat up straight trying to put aside her grief. Composing herself, she hoped not to show herself up in front of such a good friend. “I’m so pleased you’ve finally achieved what you always wanted.”
“If the last few days are what you’re talking about, it’s not everything you know. I found there’s more to life than achieving one’s dream.”
The young woman gazed at him wide eyed.
“After having had time to consider what we’ve been through recently, I’ve realised I don’t want to be tied to rules and regulations. I want to be free, to seek out adventure, to explore beyond the sector, maybe even the quadrant and see where destiny leads me.”
“Beyond the quadrant? That’s a bit too adventurous don’t you think?”
“Maybe, but I don’t know. There’s something inside me that’s making me restless, and I can’t remain in one place anymore, not like Ben wanted to.”
Hearing his words struck Joeen deep, and she was unable to hold back her tears. When Grogaan reached up and wiped them gently from her face, she saw the compassion in his eyes. His warm smile and the softness of his touch on her cheek softened her hardened heart, and soothed her troubled spirit. Up to that moment in time, Joeen wondered if she would ever be able to love again, but Grogaan’s presence and tenderness, both in action and word, broke through her barriers and touched her spirit in a way that no one else had ever done.
As she gazed into his eyes, she saw he possessed an element that made someone extra special, unpredictable but exciting, which was something she had always wanted in a man. It was something that had been lacking in Ben, but it had not stopped her falling in love with him.
After losing all that had meant so much to him, it appeared he was willing to leave everything behind and start a new life elsewhere, something she had thought of doing herself. Much to her chagrin, it was all she ever did, and never took any steps to fulfil it, until now. Now she knew it was something she had to seriously consider if her life was to improve for the better.
Joeen knew if Grogaan leant forward and kissed her, she would melt into his arms and love him with all her heart, but she knew he would not. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she considered what she had to do, or regret it, but she was scared to do so, just as she had been for years.
Grogaan saw the pain and the grief in her eyes, but there was also desire. He sensed her mixed emotions and felt a strong desire to hold her tightly, to feel her body against his, and to feel her lips pressing against his. The yearning almost became too powerful to resist, but resist he did. “Come on. We had better go and see what Yurgat wants,” he said, preventing himself from doing something he might later regret.
The two stood and he offered her his handkerchief to dry her face. Both were grieving for a lost companion, and had been told by many people on so many occasions that time was a great healer, and the pain would go eventually go away. Grogaan laughed at those people. He knew they had never truly suffered the loss of someone they treasured, someone they loved more than life itself, so did not understand what it felt like. The constant ache that would never dissipate, that was always there waiting to pounce when a memory returned, or when someone mentioned a name.
“Thanks Grogaan,” she said giving him back his handkerchief. “I hope you eventually find someone to share your life with. You deserve it.” When Joeen looked him in the eye, she saw the longing in his eyes, the same she had seen in Ben’s all those years ago. She felt her heart skip a beat and wondered if it was directed at her, or was it only compassion because they shared a common experience?
“So do you Joeen. Who knows, we may both be lucky one day.”
Joeen smiled then laughed softly, finding it difficult to resist the temptation of taking his hand in hers, pulling him towards her, and the desire to feel his body pressing against hers. She fought to hide that desire which was evident in her eyes and expression.
‘Maybe we could get together some time, but I don’t suppose there’s much chance of that is there?’ she mused. ‘Dare I ask him? Does he admire me?’ The questions buzzed around in her mind, her feelings becoming confused. ‘What should I do? Dare I take the chance? What if I do and he rejects me?’ It had been such a long time since she had felt any desire toward another man, but she was hesitant in approaching him in fear of rejection, which would shatter her already fragile confidence.
With her mind made up she called out softly: “Grogaan.”
He turned round expectantly.
She paused. “Never mind,” she said shaking her head, her courage having deserted her at the last moment.
He let his gaze linger on her much longer than he should have done, wondering if what she had intended to ask was what he thought it might be, but dismissed the notion.
The two returned to their ships and flew to the MDF headquarters. During the short flight, Joeen kept wondering how Grogaan would have responded if she had asked. She never once considered whether or not he had already started a relationship with another woman; the thought had not even crossed her mind.
When she recalled how his gaze lingered on her, she wished she had not lost her courage and scolded herself for her indecision and hesitancy. Joeen knew such ineptitude could cost you your life in battle, and smiled at the thought of the mental and emotional battle she had just lost. She wondered if the opportunity of making it right was also lost.
Before Ben had been killed, nothing would have prevented her from taking the chance, from asking that one question, from committing that one act, or speaking her mind. She realised just how much losing Ben had affected her, and she did not like what she had become.
If she knew what Grogaan’s true feelings toward her were, she would not have hesitated in acting impulsively regardless of the consequences. In her heart she knew she would not have regretted it, but was unsure if he would. As they flew in formation, Joeen realised she needed the companionship, the friendship and love of a good man. She now knew for sure; Grogaan was the one she wanted to be with. Joeen sighed heavily, wondering if she would ever discover how he truly felt toward her.
Both Grogaan and Joeen were disappointed at their indecisiveness, not knowing for sure how the other felt, and were too afraid to speak in fear of saying something that might damage their friendship. Neither realised they had lost the perfect opportunity for making their lives happier and more fulfilled.
Fate had once again confounded what might have happened, but to what end?
Grogaan climbed out of his ship, leaving his helmet on the seat, and waited at the hangar door for Joeen to appear. “Are you alright?” he asked, sensing something was wrong.
Joeen looked at him intently, still wondering what to do for the best. “Yeah, just tired and fed up. I wish something exciting would happen.”
Grogaan laughed. “Be careful what you wish for Joeen; it might happen sooner than you hope.”
“The only excitement I’m likely to see is combat with the Krelathans.”
“You take good care up there, and don’t do anything foolish.” He leant forward and kissed her on the cheek. He knew it was not the best thing to do, but he felt she needed the reassurance.
Joeen stared at him, shocked and pleased at the gesture, but was unwilling to take the chance by reciprocating. “Of course I will. Now we know how to defeat them, it should be easier.”
“No one knows how the Krelathans will react after losing two full squadrons.”
“Yeah, well, we’ll be ready for them, won’t we?”
Grogaan nodded.
“You’d best not keep the Admiral waiting too long.” She smiled and walked away.
Grogaan stood still and watched her until she disappeared through the side door, sighed, and then made his way to the Admiral’s office. A few other pilots who were checking over their ships acknowledged him, so he stopped for a chat. Despite Hobbes telling him that many pilots were jealous or suspicious about him and his friends, he discovered more of them were pleased to know someone was doing something worthwhile, and praised him for his initiative.
A few minutes later he appeared at the open door of the Admiral’s office. “Admiral, you wanted to see me?”
Yurgat looked up. “Ah Squadron Leader Learman, it’s so good of you to come over so promptly. Please, come in and take a seat.” He put his pen to the side, clasped his hands and placed them on the table.
Grogaan entered the office taking the seat offered.
“I have a small request I would like to ask of you and your colleagues.”
“I guessed as much, Admiral.”
“It is believed the Krelathan raiders are operating from a small base on one of the larger asteroids on the edge of our system. Our sensor operator detected two transports leaving the system
from the far side of the field the other day, obviously trying to use the asteroids in an attempt to hide them from our sensors. It appears they usually succeed, but on this occasion we were lucky to spot them.”
Grogaan continued where he thought the Admiral was leading. “And you would like Kopaz Squadron to check it out.”
Admiral Yurgat was impressed with Grogaan's quick thinking. ‘Why he was never accepted into the Academy years ago I just don’t understand?’ he thought. “Precisely that young man.”
Grogaan put his hands together, raised them to his face then rubbed them across his mouth and chin, and stared at the Admiral for a few moments before replying. “What if I refuse?”
“This is not a direct order, and neither am I allowed to order you to do anything because you’re not enlisted in the MDF. You are free to turn down the mission if you so wish, however, I know you and your friends are the best we have. Even if you are more inexperienced than most of our pilots, with your interceptors and recent performance, you are the obvious choice for the task. If anything happens, I believe you have the highest chance of surviving. If it means anything, I wish you had been accepted into the Academy years ago.”
“That’s considerate of you, Sir, but I assume you know nothing of why my applications were rejected.” Yurgat shook his head and Grogaan knew he was not lying. He had no reason to, not now Kopaz Squadron had proved their abilities.
After a few moments of thought, Grogaan leant forward and placed his arms on the Admiral’s desk. “Supposing I do this for you, what do we get out of it?”
Admiral Yurgat smiled. “I thought you would ask. I believe the only thing we can offer you is a high payment in return for your services, and one that will keep you solvent for some time.”
Grogaan laughed at the offer. Nothing the Admiral could offer him would compare to what he already possessed.
“How can you laugh when I offer you a small fortune?”
“Forgive me Admiral. I mean no disrespect, but I already have enough to last me for a good many years. How else could I afford four interceptors and meet the costs of modifying them?”
“None taken, and yes, I see your point.”
“I’ll discuss it with the others and let you know later today. If we do, there is one thing you can do for me. I want a promise that Lieutenant Joeen Parond is not sent on any mission that has little chance of success. I don’t want her becoming a statistic on some mission sheet.”
Admiral Yurgat looked at Grogaan carefully, wondering why he would make such a request. The young man had, as far as he knew, no links with anyone in the MDF, and probably wanted nothing to do with either the MDF or the Academy after the way he had been treated.
Grogaan saw the obvious curiosity in the Admiral’s expression. “She was my brother’s fiancée and I owe it to him to look out for her.”
“That I can understand.” He paused to consider the implications of the request. “Very well, it’ll be done, but only if you accept, and the situation with the Krelathans does not become, shall I say, more serious.”
“Thank you Sir.”
Admiral Yurgat watched Grogaan leave, and had no doubt he would agree to undertake the mission. He also knew he would do it willingly, not for the glory or the reward, but because he wanted to do it for the love of flying, the thrill and excitement of engaging the enemy, and the sheer satisfaction of seeing an enemy ship explode. He knew this because he had felt the same way when he was Grogaan’s age.
Later that afternoon, Grogaan contacted the Admiral and informed him that Kopaz squadron would undertake the mission. Admiral Yurgat was as good as his word, and issued written confirmation of the agreement. Joeen was safe.
Kopaz squadron took off and searched the asteroid field as thoroughly as was possible, without putting themselves at too much risk. Numerous asteroids, which posed a threat to their safety, were quickly and efficiently destroyed, the four pilots enjoying the excitement the challenge gave them.
After two hours searching, they had failed to detect any trace of technology or a base on any of the asteroids. Grogaan shook his head in frustration. “Alright lads, let’s call it a day. Form up and head back to base.”
“They’ve sure hidden it well,” said Doraant.
“Unless of course there is no base,” added Eldaan.
“It’s there alright, but where?” replied Grogaan.
“The Admiral will be disappointed,” said Zaack.
Grogaan laughed. “You’re right about that, but we’ll pacify him and try again another time. Perhaps we might be luckier next time.”
Kopaz squadron’s second search of the asteroid field on the following day also proved unsuccessful, which suggested the Krelathans had succeeded in camouflaging the entrance to the base, and their shielding was perfect. This left only three options: To land on every large asteroid and search them physically; to blast every asteroid into oblivion; to land one ship on an asteroid to monitor and detect any ship leaving the area. The first option was too dangerous, the second would take too long and require massive firepower, and the final option was ruled out because the pilot’s chances of survival were too low.
The two days passed quickly. On the third, the four engineers were back in work, busy working on MCIs from the MDF, bringing them up to the new specifications requested. Grogaan had not provided a full list of the modifications they had carried out to their own ships due to time constraints. They were limited to fitting two extra wing tip laser cannons, replacing the single generator with the twin system to enhance the recharge capabilities of the lasers and shields, and changing the proton torpedo magazine to hold an additional two torpedoes. Restricting the number of modifications in this way would allow sufficient numbers of fighters to be upgraded in the least amount of time, and would be more than enough to tip the balance in their favour.
Even though he was kept busy, and despite his ability to focus on what he was doing, Grogaan had other issues that were now troubling him. His emotions remained strained ever since his encounter with Joeen, which in turn made him anxious and confused. He found it extremely difficult to stop thinking about Ellarna and Joeen, both of whom stirred deep feelings he had not experienced since before Miranda was killed. It was a hard week emotionally, but be managed to get through it without succumbing to depression, nor did he become impatient or moody.
It was the last working day of the week, and the four engineers were looking forward to their next break when the Chief Engineer appeared in the workshop. “How’s the work progressing Grogaan?” he asked.
“Faster than we expected actually, Chief. These two are nearly finished thanks to some support from Keeran and Davlenn. We’ve a few more tests to carry out, and they’ll be ready for flight tests.”
“That will please the Admiral and keep him off our backs. He’s getting impatient to see some good results from his pilots, and he’s worried about the low morale.”
Grogaan looked up at Trindall and shook his head. “Come on Chief, you didn’t just come over here to see how we’re getting on, did you.”
The Chief smiled. “I never could hide much from you could I?”
Grogaan shook his head. “I can read you like a book, Chief. So what’s on your mind?”
“Some ships are scheduled to arrive in the system later today, so the MDF is sending out patrols in an attempt to confuse and disrupt the Krelathan raiders.”
“And Yurgat wants Kopaz Squadron to join in, right?”
“Basically, yes.”
“How could I refuse an offer to do what we’ve been wanting to do for years? What time does he want us?”
“About fourteen hundred hours at the squadron briefing room.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Grogaan’s mood lightened and his emotional troubles over Joeen and Ellarna were momentarily forgotten.
“Right then, I had better leave you to finish off here and let the Admiral know of your decision. He will be pleased.”
The two intercept
ors were completed by twelve thirty, leaving Grogaan and his friends plenty of time for lunch before leaving for the briefing. They took their time eating, and spent a lot of time discussing the forthcoming patrol.
There was one area of combat formation they failed in, and although it had not affected the outcome of their previous battles, they knew they had to address it. They had all selected their own targets instead of remaining in pairs, one covering the other: The wingman principle. In doing so, they had left themselves open to attack from behind, a major error when outnumbered, and something they would correct on the next sortie.